


Simple Misunderstanding

by heartsdesire456



Series: Puppies of SHIELD [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dogs, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-06 07:03:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3125360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>When Fitz had brought Chester home, he was a big puppy, but he’d been assured he was a lot older than his blue eyes suggested. They were almost sure he was a lab mix since he looked just like a black lab puppy, so he would get bigger, but not <i>too</i> big. Comfortably on the larger scale of ‘medium dog’.</i><br/> <br/><i>Within three months of having Chester, it became quite clear he was not, in fact, a black lab. </i></p><p> </p><p>(Can be read as stand alone)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Simple Misunderstanding

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has a back story that's the first fic in this series, but it can be read alone without a doubt! 
> 
> Also, even though there is no shield, the series is called Puppies of SHIELD because there are fics planned in the future with various other AoS characters/MCU characters and their dogs. 
> 
> Also, Puppies of SHIELD is an adorable name, lol.
> 
>  
> 
> **EDIT! It has come to my attention that I forgot to give credit where credit is due! Amber (My hoe on the side) was the one who had the idea for Fitz and Mack and their respective doggies! I just got it in my head to write the fics for her! (I might have credited her in the origin story fic but idk? It was my idea, the puppy adoption at christmas thing, but the whole overall idea was hers)**

When Fitz had brought Chester home, he was a big puppy, but he’d been assured he was a lot older than his blue eyes suggested. They were almost sure he was a lab mix since he looked just like a black lab puppy, so he would get bigger, but not _too_ big. Comfortably on the larger scale of ‘medium dog’.

Within three months of having Chester, it became quite clear he was not, in fact, a black lab. The older he got, the longer his fur got (not much, but some), the longer his snout got, and it became clear his huge puppy feet had been a warning that nobody had heeded. By the time he was a year old – or Fitz assumed that, since they had clearly guessed his age wrong – he was already taller on his hind legs than Fitz and weighed almost the same him. He was _massive_ , he ate a lot, and he was far too strong for Fitz, but when Jemma brought it up at the shelter she volunteered at, the place Fitz got Chester, and they offered to take him back and find him another home, Fitz pretty much got himself banned for shouting insults at the poor employees for even suggesting he give away his dog.

He hadn’t ever liked pets, and still thought most dogs were very stupid, but Chester wasn’t. Chester was smart and sweet and he was Fitz’s dog, and even if he had to move by the time Chester reached a year old to find a new place to live, he loved Chester. 

Now, Chester was two years old, thereabouts, and was a whopping one hundred and eighty pounds and three foot from head to paw. From nose to tail, he was nearly seven foot long. He was genuinely _huge_. Fitz didn’t care, though, because for all that people judged him when they saw him walking with Chester, Chester was still just as sweet and loveable as a huge dog as he’d been as a puppy that fit in Fitz’s lap. 

(Of course, he still tried to sit in Fitz’s lap, and more than once, Fitz had woken up from a nap on the couch nearly suffocated because he had the full weight of a sleeping Chester on top of him.)

Another problem with Chester’s size, was that people were naturally wary of him and assumed, since he was huge, that he was dangerous. In reality, he was quite the wimp, if Fitz was honest. It wasn’t unheard of for more aggressive dogs at the park, normal sized dogs, to scare Chester into running to hide behind Fitz (as if Fitz’s scrawny frame was going to be able to protect him from a mean dog). 

That was why Fitz was currently startled out of reading something on his phone from work while he stood in the shade of a tree, waiting on Chester to bring his ball back, by a familiar whining and loud, angry barks and growls. He looked up and immediately spotted Chester cowering away from a rather mean looking Doberman that had cornered him by a tree. “Oi!” Fitz shouted, rushing over. “You, get away!” he shouted at the dog that was scaring Chester. The dog looked about a second away from attacking Chester when Fitz got closer, only to be interrupted by the literal last thing Fitz could’ve ever expected to see.

(No seriously, aliens dressed as David Bowie landing would be less shocking than this.)

Possibly the smallest little terrier Fitz had ever seen came rocketing right between his legs, yapping and snarling like mad as it rushed right up to the Doberman and darted around in front of it, growling and barking like it had been just waiting for a chance to fight possibly the meanest looking dog Fitz had ever seen. Fitz actually stopped walking and just stared as the tiny little terrier actually got between Chester and the Doberman and darted forward a few times like it was going to actually bite the dog whose head was nearly bigger than its whole body.

“Bruno! Bruno, stop that!” Fitz looked up and rolled his eyes when he saw a man jogging up. He was incredibly large, which Fitz figured probably helped with him having such an aggressive dog.

“Yeah, could you please get your dog, Sir? It’s sort of terrifying mine,” he said, walking over to Chester, who had shrunk back now that the very confused Doberman had a new target between them. He caught Chester’s collar, pulling his head to his middle so he could press a kiss between his ears. “It’s alright.”

“Yeah, man, I’m sorry about Bruno, he just gets so riled up, he doesn’t think about the fact somebody’s bigger than him.” Fitz didn’t bother looking up as he turned to lead Chester away until he heard a voice shout as the man got closer.

“Hey! You get that ugly little rat away from my Dolly!” Fitz jerked around in surprise, only to actually let his jaw drop at the sight before him.

The giant mountain of a man who had run up was holding the tiny little terrier in one hand, while it still yapped and barked, trying to get away, and an older man had come up and clipped a leash onto the Doberman. Fitz looked at the tiny dog, then back up at the man holding it with an apologetic and embarrassed look, then glanced back at the other owner and scoffed. “Yeah, well maybe you should teach Dolly not to be so aggressive,” he called as he walked closer, Chester following along behind Fitz, clearly still frightened and trying to hid behind him. “If that ‘rat’ as you call it hadn’t come up like a madman, your dog was going to bite mine, and no dog that aggressive should be off a lead at a park like this,” he said angrily. “She scared the hell out of me and my dog, and if she’d attacked me when I ran up, you would be facing charges!” He pointed at the tiny dog. “That dog saved you from a lawsuit, so why don’t you take your Hellbeast and sod off!” he shouted, his free hand still behind his back, rubbing at Chester’s fur comfortingly. 

The man looked enraged and offended, but Fitz didn’t care. He turned and put a hand on Chester’s back as he walked away, leading Chester with him. He got almost back to his tree when he heard footsteps behind him. “Hey! Hey uh… guy with the giant dog!”

Fitz stopped and turned around, raising a wary eyebrow as the owner of Bruno came up, still carrying his dog. “Hey, I wanted to say thanks, Man,” he said, smiling. “I mean, my dog’s an asshole too, but that guy sucked, so thanks.”

Fitz smiled bashfully as he calmed down more. “Erm, it’s nothing. I’m a bit horrified at myself, really,” he admitted. “I was just- just really angry.” He petted Chester’s neck, looking down at how he kept pressing his nose into Fitz’s side. “He’s just so easily frightened, and that dog was horrible,” he stressed. “Chester’s going to end up afraid to come back for the next week or so.”

The man grinned, looking down at Chester. “Chester, huh?” He held out his free hand as he looked back to Fitz. “I’m Mack,” he introduced, and Fitz smiled, reaching out to shake his hand politely, a little surprised at how gentle Mack’s grip was for man who looked to be very strong. “Well, it’s Alphonso really. Mackenzie, Alphonso Mackenzie,” he said, cringing as he stumbled over his words in an embarrassed manner. “But people just call me Mack.”

“Leo Fitz. Everybody calls me Fitz,” he mimicked, earning an amused smile. “You know, when you came up yelling for ‘Bruno’ to stop, I really expected you owned that other one. Not that little fella.”

Mack groaned, looking at the dog tucked under his arm. “This evil little shit is Bruno. My sister went and moved somewhere she can’t have dogs, so she gave his mean little ass to me.” He smiled apologetically. “I swear, he can be really nice when he doesn’t sense a fight and try to jump in.”

Fitz laughed, nodding. “It’s just funny, cause he’s so small and so fearless.” He nodded to Chester. “He’s sort of terrified of everything. You should see him when a cat comes and hisses at him from the fire escape.”

Mack grinned, looking Chester over. “Man. What even is he?” he asked, sounding almost awestruck. “He’s _huge_.”

“Not a clue,” Fitz said with a small grin. “I mean, I could find out for a few hundred dollars, get a DNA test, but I figured shelling out that much money for something that won’t change anything is sort of pointless.” He smiled down at him. “They _thought_ he was a black lab mix when I got him as a tiny little thing. Clearly they were wrong unless black lab is mixed with black _bear_.” He gave Chester a look. “Mixed with scaredy cat,” he added.

Mack gave him a small, amused look. “Hey, I know his pain, you know? Being big doesn’t always mean you’re fearless.”

Fitz looked up at Mack and raised an eyebrow. “You mean you don’t use your impressive height going around stopping burglars and then bench-pressing train cars like on The Incredibles?” he teased.

“Ha, not even,” Mack said, rolling his eyes with an amused smirk. “I still scream like a girl when I see spiders in my apartment.”

Fitz couldn’t help his slightly impish grin. “Does Bruno get them for you?” he asked, earning a surprised laugh.

“Hey, you joke, but I’m pretty sure he’d eat ‘em if I let him,” he countered with a playful smile. 

Fitz looked down at his phone, then sighed. “I really hate to, but I need to go,” he said, and Mack held up a hand.

“Hey, I get it. Got stuff to do-“

Fitz shook his head, biting his lip some. “I’ve got to go to work. I’m off on lunch now. I’ll take him home then get back to work. That’s how I usually do it.” He smiled bashfully. “Erm, any chance I might possibly run into you again here?” he asked tentatively.

Mack seemed surprised, but gave Fitz a bright smile anyways. “Yeah, I usually come a few times a week. Bruno likes to chase squirrels at the normal park, and they can whoop his ass, so I have to come here.”

“So maybe I’ll see you then,” Fitz said a bit lighter. “Possibly.”

Mack nodded with a softer smile, eyes showing the same cheerfulness that Fitz felt. “I’d like that.”

~

Fitz burst through the doors to the lab, nearly falling as he tried to get into his lab coat. “Sorry, sorry! I know, I’m late, sorry!”

Simmons glared at him – eyes magnified by the magnification goggles she was wearing so they looked frightening – and looked at the clock. “Fitz, you have got to stop using your lunch break to walk Chester-“

“I’ll stop using my lunch break to walk him when I can start bringing him to work with me, and since that’s never happening, then I’ll continue to do so,” he argued, glaring. “Anyways, it’s not his fault, this horrible hellbeast tried to attack him.”

Simmons made a face. “Fitz, he’s the size of a small country-“

“Oh that’s a big much even for exaggeration,” Fitz argued, but she continued.”

“Why on earth would another dog try to _attack_ him?” she asked and Fitz rolled his eyes.

“Because dogs are stupid, Jemma,” he said in exasperation. This was far from the first time they had this conversation. “My dog is an exception to the rule that dogs are by far the least intelligent creatures ever. We as humans bred all the majestic predator out of canines and today’s domestic dog is basically a toddler with fur that will never grow up.”

“You know, for a dog owner, you seem to really hate dogs.” Fitz and Simmons both looked up to see a girl walking in. She waved a hand. “Sorry, I got sent down from Mr. Stark’s lab,” she explained. “Dr. Foster, he said you were expecting me?”

Jemma perked up. “Oh yes!” She spun around and grabbed something off her table. “Sorry, these are the schematics you requested,” she said, walking them over. “It’s actually quite thrilling to go outside my field for once, astrophysics is very fascinating.”

Fitz frowned. “When did Stark Industries start working n _astrophysics_?” he asked and Dr. Foster laughed.

“They don’t, I’m sort of an outside contractor. Mr. Stark came into possession of a material that’s actually from meteorites and he needed someone with a background in it to help identify it. I needed these-“ She waved the schematics. “to try and calibrate his spectroscope for what I need.” She gestured to Fitz. “Your dog problem, though, if you need it, I know someone that runs an obedience school. I could get you a card,” she offered.

Fitz smiled and shook his head. “Oh no, my dog is quite well trained and all, I just had a run-in with another dog at the dog park.” He gestured to Simmons. “She was skeptical about why a dog would try to attack mine since Chester’s about the size of a small horse,” he joked. “That’s why I was saying all dogs are stupid.”

Simmons cleared her throat. “Your friend. Any chance he or she is a dog walker?” she asked and Fitz glared. “Fitz keeps coming in late since he spends his lunch hour walking his dog.”

Dr. Foster smiled. “Actually that is one service she offers. If you’re interested.”

“No-“

“Yes.” 

Fitz glared at Simmons and Dr. Foster looked between them before grinning and walking over. “I’ll leave her number just in case,” she said, grabbing a post-it and a pen from Fitz’s workstation. “It can’t hurt to consider it, right?”

Fitz forced a smile. “Right.” When Dr. Foster left he turned to glare at Simmons long after she got back to work. 

~

Fitz agreed, for the sake of the work he was leaving Simmons to do alone, to at least give the dog walker a chance. He called and agreed to meet during his usual lunch hour to introduce Chester to the woman and see how she handled him and whether he got along with the other dogs. When he met her at the park, she was holding four leashes already and two empty ones. She nodded to two puppies that were bounding around while the other four dogs walked with her.

“The little ones have more energy,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I’m assuming by this gigantic baby that you’re Mr. Fitz.”

“Just Fitz,” he said, holding out his hand to shake hers.

She nodded. “Alright, ‘Just Fitz’. I’m Darcy,” she said, then gestured to Chester. “And he is adorable, but I’m almost totally positive right now before even hanging out with him that, unfortunately, this probably won’t work out.”

Fitz chuckled. “Yeah, I figured,” he said. “You’ve got six dogs already.”

“And he’s about the size of all six _combined_ ,” she stressed. She reached out and ruffled Chester’s ears, making him shuffle happily and lean into her touch. “Awww he’s a sweetie though.”

“Yeah, Chester’s pretty well behaved,” Fitz said. “He’s just big and with that comes forgetting he’s not a puppy anymore.” Fitz smiled down at Chester. “Still tries to sit in my lap if I’m not careful.”

She nodded. “Does he pull much on the leash?” she asked, and Fitz winced.

“Not on purpose? I mean he doesn’t fight to run or anything, but if you don’t keep up with him, he just keeps walking, and as strong as he is, just walking is enough to kind of pull you along. If you call his name and stop him, he’ll stop, but he’s just strong.” He held up the leash. “He doesn’t try to run away, but if he gets scared, he will try to hide behind you. And he’s not afraid of everything, but a car backfiring terrified him once and he nearly knocked me down trying to hide.” He waved a hand. “And just last week another dog at the park here tried to attack him and he was scared half to death.”

“Awwww,” Darcy rubbed his neck. “Why would some mean dog try to hurt you?” She smiled apologetically. “Yeah, I really wish I could help you out, but he’s just so much bigger than I can handle with six others already. If I had time to just walk him, that would be one thing, but I really don’t right now. Maybe if things change in a few months I can call you back?”

Fitz sighed, but nodded. “Yeah, thanks. I don’t have that much of a problem walking him myself now, but my friend is right, I would be late less often if someone else did.”

“Well hopefully in the future it’ll work out,” Darcy said, and then waved to Fitz as she went to collect her wayward puppies and get them back on the leash so they could leave.

Fitz looked at Chester and smiled. “Oh well, it’s not like I don’t want to keep walking you anyways,” he said, petting Chester before he started walking, Chester trotting along beside him with a wagging tail and lolling tongue that suggested he was totally unbothered by this series of events. Fitz smiled at him. “Just you and me like always, huh?” he asked fondly.

Chester stopped walking and Fitz stopped with him, looking around, only to raise an eyebrow when he saw a tiny little blur rushing towards them. Chester shrank back some when the tiny blur ended up being a familiar little terrier who stopped and started jumping and yipping and wagging his tail so hard he nearly fell over as he leapt around in front of Chester excitedly. Chester carefully leaned down and sniffed at the dog, who seemed to take that as permission to come closer and leap around, barking excitedly at Chester. Fitz chuckled and glanced around, only to smile when he spotted Mack jogging across the grass, looking around and calling out for Bruno. “Mack!” he called out, and Mack stopped and looked over, only to visibly slump as he walked their way.

“I swear I don’t know why my dog is harassing you again,” Mack said as he got closer. 

Fitz smiled and shook his head. “It’s alright,” he said, looking at where Chester was watching Bruno dart back and forth. “I think he likes Chester, cause he’s not growling at him or anything.” He nudged Chester, who had cocked his head and was just watching Bruno. “I think he wants to play, you dummy,” he said to Chester. He unlatched Chester’s leash. “Go on, just don’t hurt the little bugger.”

Mack winced and gave Fitz a guilty look. “Bruno’s made of sturdier stuff than you probably think.” Fitz raised an eyebrow and Mack rubbed at the back of his neck. “I may have… stepped on him. A few times,” he said and Fitz looked between Mack and Bruno, who was now running around, goading Chester into chasing him. 

“How on earth is he not squished?” Fitz asked, then blushed. “I- I don’t mean to call you fat- or- or-“ He slapped a hand over his eyes. “I just mean he’s so small and I should shut up now.”

Mack gave him a small grin. “Hey, you’re a little thing and Chester hasn’t squished you yet,” he teased back and Fitz laughed in surprise.

“Oi, I’m not _that_ small.” Fitz rolled his eyes. He looked out to see what Chester was doing and smiled when he saw Chester running around with Bruno, clearly having fun. “It’s good to see him play with other dogs. Most people run him off when he starts playing with another dog at the park.”

Mack tutted. “Psh, he’s just an overgrown puppy, look at him!” He waved a hand to where Chester was rolling around with a pinecone in his mouth, shaking his head. “Man, he isn’t gonna hurt nobody’s dog. That’s just people judging a book by its cover, don’t worry about it.”

Fitz gave him a look from head to toe. “I’d bet you have a bit of an idea what that’s like, huh? How many people assume you’re an athlete or something?” he asked, then frowned. “Wait, you’re not are you? That would be embarrassing of me to laugh about if you are.”

Mack grinned, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m a mechanic.” He made a face, sighing as he looked out at their dogs. “Besides, living around here as big and black as I am, old ladies hug their purses and stuff when I walk past. Wouldn’t believe how often I get on the train and people suddenly find a seat further away they like better.”

“Well that’s not right,” Fitz said, looking up to meet Mack’s eyes. “As far as I can tell, you’re really nice. I mean, you’re the type of guy that carries around a tiny dog, Mack.” He gave him a look. “Honestly, do they really think a tiny dog you probably have to carry when you’re walking on the sidewalk screams ‘violent mugger’?”

Mack grinned. “Bruno’s more likely to jump somebody and steal their wallet than I am, man, you don’t even know,” he joked and Fitz laughed, ducking his head. He glanced over at the nearest bench and nodded, smiling when Mack fell into step beside him as they walked over. Mack bumped their elbows together (or rather his elbow and Fitz’s upper arm) as they walked. “What about you? What do you do?” he asked as they sat.

Fitz ducked his head bashfully. “Erm, I’m actually an engineer for Stark Industries,” he said and Mack whistled low.

“Damn, Chester’s not the only big dogs you run with, huh?” he asked and Fitz fidgeted some.

“Well, I don’t work in the top secret labs so there’s still room to advance, but me and my best friend both went to University together in Manchester, and that’s where we met, and we both were a lot younger than everybody else, so we sort of always stuck together, and we applied together places all over so we’d hopefully both get hired at the same place and we did! Simmons is a biochemist and I’m an engineer and since we applied together and Stark Industries liked our CVs they gave us a lab together here in New York and it’s just us really, and some other lab techs and stuff, so it’s not like I’m working on like the big things like Stark Phones or robotics or anything that impressive, just me and my friend testing little things and simple stuff like-“

“Alright, alright, slow down and take a breath, Turbo,” Mack said, holding up his hands. He gave Fitz an amused little grin, making Fitz blush some. “You’re either modest or you’re trying to downplay that you’ve got an impressive job for some other reason.”

Fitz shrugged, rubbing his fingers together at his side. “I’m just sort of unimportant and don’t want to give you the idea that I’m something I’m not, that’s all,” he said sheepishly. 

Mack gave him a look. “Fitz, you made it seem like you went through college fast, so clearly you’re crazy smart. That’s not unimportant.” He gestured to himself. “I didn’t even want to go to college, but my mama made me at least get a certificate at technical school before she let my grandpa hire me full time at his garage.” He smiled at him. “And even if you weren’t an impressive guy, _nobody_ is unimportant, Turbo.”

Fitz raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s going to be a thing now, isn’t it?” he asked and Mack grinned.

“Fitz, you can talk faster than I knew was possible, damn straight it’s gonna be a thing.”

Fitz rolled his eyes, smiling shyly. “Who says I’m gonna see you again, huh?” he asked and Mack gave him a little shrug, looking into his eyes with an intensity that made Fitz’s insides squirm.

“If you don’t want to, I respect that, but I’d really like to see you more, Fitz,” Mack said earnestly, voice soft and low and so warm it made Fitz have the irrational desire to put his ear to Mack’s chest and feel how his voice made his chest vibrate. 

Fitz blushed at his thoughts, even though Mack couldn’t hear them, and he bit his lip as he fought a goofy grin. “I’d like to see you more, too,” he muttered and Mack’s smile spread into a bright, happy expression.

“You’re really cute when you blush, I just gotta say that right now. It’s adorable-“

“Oh shut it, you,” Fitz groaned, shoving at his arm playfully, blushing even darker when Mack laughed at him. “You’re not being nice, I was wrong, you’re a horrible person.”

Mack smirked and leaned in a little. “Am not, you’re just seriously cute when you’re embarrassed.”

Fitz shook his head, faking a scowl. “Horrible people laugh at people who can’t help how pasty pale they are,” he accused, and Mack just looked at him, still smirking. Fitz’s fake scowl wavered as he tried not to smile. He failed when Mack raised an eyebrow at him and Fitz couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped him. “You’re terrible,” he accused through his laughter, making Mack wink at him.

“Just admit it, you don’t think I’m terrible-“

“Oh, I really do,” Fitz murmured, leaning in a little further, looking up into Mack’s gorgeous brown eyes. 

Mack tilted his head to one side slightly, looking Fitz over like he was trying to figure something out. “You’ve got freckles. I didn’t even know I liked freckles.”

Fitz bit his lip, fighting a slightly giddy feeling. “You saying you like my face?” he teased and Mack nodded.

“Something like that.” He continued to look at Fitz before meeting his eyes again, making Fitz’s breath stutter some. “I’m gonna look like a real idiot if I’ve read this wrong,” Mack said suddenly and Fitz frowned slightly.

“If you read what wrong?” he asked in confusion.

Mack’s fingertips trailed over his wrist between them. “This,” he whispered just before closing the last few inches and brushing his lips over the corner of Fitz’s mouth. It was chaste, and only lasted a second, more of a brush than anything, before Mack pulled away. He looked at Fitz, who stared back at him in a mild state of shock before finally Fitz managed a tentative smile.

 

“Yep, definitely a terrible person,” Fitz said, and Mack’s face fall before Fitz rolled his eyes and kept going. “Oh come on, who kisses somebody for the first time at a dog park? Also, a gentleman at least asks you out before going and kissing you,” he teased and Mack’s smile returned as he relaxed some.

“Hey, I didn’t really kiss you, I just kinda couldn’t help it. You’re too cute for your own good,” he joked, resting his arm along the bench behind Fitz.

Fitz huffed. “Still don’t hear you asking me out in there, Mack. It’s rude to kiss someone without even asking them out.”

“Oh yeah?” Mack asked, smirking. “Why do _I_ have to ask _you_ out?”

Fitz rolled his eyes. “Well fine, if that’s how you’re going to be-“ He faced Mack and fixed a playful smile on his face. “Hey Mack, would you like to get coffee with me sometime? Seeing as you already kissed me and all, so clearly you think I’m attractive, you cad, you.”

“Why yes, Fitz, I’d love to go out with you,” he said back in just as joking of a tone as Fitz had asked. He leaned in some, smirking when Fitz’s eyes widened some. “Maybe after our date, I’ll kiss you for real,” he said in a flirty tone.

Fitz hummed. “And what if I don’t kiss on the first date?” he countered and Mack gave him a softer, more genuine smile.

“Then I won’t kiss you until you want me to, assuming we go out and actually enjoy ourselves,” he added.

Fitz blushed again, shoving at his shoulder as he turned forward. “Oh come on. That was unfairly sweet.”

“Just true,” Mack said, letting his arm slide to Fitz’s shoulders rather than the bench. 

Fitz gave him a small smile and shook his head. “Something tells me we’ll enjoy ourselves.”

“Yeah?” Mack asked, and Fitz grinned.

“Well, seeing as I’ve literally never asked anybody out only the second time I ever spoke to him, I’d say that there is something about you, Mack. I can’t put my finger on it, but you’re just… not scary,” Fitz said honestly. “I’m not good with people. But I’ve spoken to you twice now and you’re just. You’re comfortable.”

Mack smiled and looked ahead, watching to make sure their dogs hadn’t run off on them while they were busy flirting. “There’s something special about you, too.” Fit smiled and leaned back into his arm slightly, not bothering to reply as they both watched Chester and Bruno continue to run around playing as if they were old friends.

Maybe, Fitz considered, that had been a sign all along.


End file.
